S Jaishankar Confirms Disengagement Process Between India and China Finalized
New Delhi, 21st October 2024: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar provided insights on the disengagement process between India and China, stating that the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has reverted to its status before May 2020. India asserts that normalization of relations with China will only occur once the de facto border conditions return to those of 2020.
Relations between India and China soured due to Beijing’s aggressive actions along the LAC in April-May 2020. The tensions culminated in the tragic death of 20 Indian soldiers on June 15, 2020, during their efforts to repel a Chinese offensive in the Galwan Valley of eastern Ladakh, with an unspecified number of Chinese troops also reported killed in intense combat.
Over the past four years, the two nations have engaged in multiple rounds of diplomatic and military discussions. Jaishankar confirmed that the disengagement process between India and China has now been finalized.
He noted that certain areas in Ladakh had been blocked for patrolling by both sides after 2020. However, a mutual understanding has now been reached, permitting patrols in these regions. “As stated by the Foreign Secretary, we’ve achieved an agreement on patrolling, allowing us to return to the pre-2020 situation. The disengagement process with China has concluded… Areas that were blocked due to each side’s actions have now been resolved, enabling patrols,” Jaishankar said at an NDTV event, as reported by news agency ANI.
Jaishankar characterized the agreement as the outcome of “patient and persevering diplomacy.” He remarked, “I believe the understanding allows for the patrolling that was conducted in 2020. This is a positive development and a result of sustained negotiations that began in September 2020 when I met my counterpart, Wang Yi, in Moscow. It establishes a foundation for restoring peace and tranquility along the border, akin to the conditions that existed before 2020.”
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also addressed the media, stating that an agreement has been reached regarding patrolling along the LAC. “Discussions have taken place with Chinese counterparts through the WMCC and at various military commander levels. These dialogues have previously resolved standoffs in several locations, although some standoffs remained unresolved,” he said.
Misri added, “Recent discussions have led to an agreement on patrolling arrangements along the India-China border, facilitating disengagement and progressing toward resolving issues that arose in these areas in 2020.”
